Saturday, June 12, 2010

1stdibs Introspective - Required Reading - Horse

1stdibs Introspective - Required Reading - Horse

Nautical Love


I have been saving this amazing vintage Sailor's Bag because I am possessively smitten. A perfect example of functional object-cum-decorative art. It's romance, the high seas, adventure and stoicism all captured in a simple bag made of what appears to be linen rucksack or hemp and jute rope. Once belonged to a Mr. K.P. Gerstner as labeled on the front... what stories it could tell.


The beauty is in the details... Of course it can be found at our friends at Battersea Antiques in San Francisco. If anyone is need of a gift idea for moi... C'est ca! www.batterseasf.com

Oxymorons for Summer Lazing


What is summer without lazing about? I can't resist this simple, distressed yet elegant French metal daybed, restored with a tufted linen cushion. It would seem the perfect spot to nap away the toils of summer play. It's the perfect oxymoron for summer... a day... bed.

Serene beiges, whites, and blues reflect the coastal colors of sand and sea. You can find this lounger at a nifty little shop in Newport, Calif., called Juxtaposition Antiques. They have other wonderful found objects and creative linen textiles. http://juxtaposition.1stdibs.com/store/furniture_search.php?FRID=Y2rJZW1lwpbJ


Monday, June 7, 2010

The Wheel of Light

Obsessed...with...this chandelier! Ingenuity. Curiosity. Invention. Reinvention. The force behind these concepts drives (literally) our industries, technology and even our thirst for a new self. Take this beautiful, austere and exquisitely restrained wooden wheel, err, gear part, light, chandelier!?! The crafty and creative folks at Battersea Antiques in San Francisco have reclaimed and restored the function and posterity of this beautiful new marriage of the old--an antique wooden machine cog/gear part/wheel and electricity. Genius! Someone call Mensa. A clear glass lightbulb offers clarity on its simplicity. See the French Cast Zinc Horse Head below for my love affair with wood. And expect to see more amazing found objects and decorative arts from Battersea Antiques. I'm becoming a fanatic for their wares. http://battersea.1stdibs.com/

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Zinc. Equine. Wood.



French cast zinc horse head mounted on old board.
Elemental style. What is it? How do you see it? Where is it found?
Zinc is a metallic chemical element, often used by alchemists. It is an essential mineral for plant, animal and human life and reproduction. The equine was thought to have been domesticated about 4,000 years BC. It has been an essential tool in the creation of cities, farming and warfare. Cast horse heads were often used as architectural ornaments. Wood...well, wood is perhaps one of our most natural best friends. It is the oldest building material in the world, aside from earth itself. It is beautiful, rustic or refined, veined and varied, weathers, maleable, and when living, feeds us and respires with us. It warms us, houses us, supports us, floats us, carries us to our next spiritual destination. I love wood. It is like a wonderful old grandfather.
This beautiful ditty of a pony is courtesy of Wilson Antiques, wilsonantiques.1stdibs.com